1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an arrow and nock with a light emitting function. More specifically, the present invention relates to an arrow with a light emitting function, a nock with a light emitting function, and a light emission control device to be used in the arrow, which make it possible for a shooter to confirm whether an arrow discharged by the shooter hit the target or not.
2. Background Art
As sports and games for discharging arrows toward targets, there is kyudo, archery, bowgun (crossbow), darts, etc.
For example, kyudo is normally divided into near-target events with a shooting distance of 28 m and distant-target events with a shooting distance of 60 m, and in both events, a circular target is shot by an arrow.
In archery, mainly, an 18 m shooting distance is set for indoor games, and for outdoor games, 30 m, 50 m, and 90 m shooting distances are set.
Dart games are made competitive by scoring points by throwing darts directly by hand without using a bow, and recently, dart enthusiasts have been increasing in Japan as well.
It is visually checked by a shooter him/herself during training or by a judge during matches whether an arrow of these has hit the target or not.
However, in outdoor playing fields, it becomes difficult to visually check the striking point of the arrow when the sun goes down and twilight occurs, and it takes time to determine the next shooting direction of an arrow, and this causes loss of the rhythm and makes it difficult for a shooter to concentrate on training.
An invention shown in FIG. 7 has been proposed for solving this problem. According to this invention, the arrow 101 has a light emitting device 103 for illuminating the nock main body 102 when it hits the target or ground, etc. Inside the light emitting device 103, a battery 104 is fixed, and to the negative electrode terminal 105 of the battery 104, a lead wire as a negative electrode conductor extending from the light emitting diode 106 is connected. On the other hand, to the front end of a lead wire as a positive electrode conductor from the light emitting diode 106 and to the front end of a lead wire as a positive electrode conductor to be connected to the positive electrode terminal of the battery 104, switch opening and closing pieces 108 that form a switching device provided in a second space 107 are connected. The switch opening and closing pieces 108 are fixed at their base portions while being in contact with each other, and a switch operator 109 that opens and closes the switch opening and closing pieces 108 is provided so as to advance and retreat inside the second space 107 and the first space 110. The front end of the operating part 112 of this switch operator 109 enters between the switch opening and closing pieces 108 before discharging an arrow by an urging force of a coil spring 111 provided inside the first space 110, and the electric conduction path is shut off.
In addition, at the front end of the light emitting device 103, an air exhaust hole 113 is provided for mainly exhausting air in the first space 110 to the outside of the light emitting device 103. In this air exhaust hole 113, a check valve is provided to prevent air flow from the outside although allowing the air in the first space 110 to be exhausted.
Furthermore, an air introducing hole 114 with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the air exhaust hole 113 is provided around the air exhaust hole 113. In the light emitting device thus constructed, when an arrow is discharged and hits the target or ground, etc., the switch operator 109 moves toward the arrow front end by inertia against the urging force of the coil spring 111, whereby the air inside the first space 111 becomes high in pressure and is exhausted from the air exhaust hole 113, the operating part 112 is separated from the switch opening and closing pieces 108, and the light emitting diode 106 emits light. Then, when the switch operator 109 is about to be pushed back by the urging force of the coil spring 111, in the air exhaust hole 113, air flow into the first space 110 is prevented by the check valve so as to gain as much time as possible until air flows-in only from the air introducing hole 114, the switch opening and closing pieces 108 return to the original positions, and the electric conduction path is shut off, and during this period of time, the light emitting diode 106 is made to emit light. See Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-35500.